The basic function of a farmers’ market is to provide a space in which local producers, farmers, and food merchants can sell their produce directly to customers, without having to go through wholesalers, large distribution networks, or supermarket chains.

They’re a place where customers can stroll from stall to stall, browsing produce at their leisure and talking with stall owners directly about the products they have to offer. 

You can find all manner of fruit and veg, dairy products, raw meats, baked goods, and even locally made arts and crafts at your local farmers’ market, depending on the specifications of the market organizers.

Farmers’ markets come in all shapes and sizes, from indoor spaces co-opted into a covered area for stall holders, to great outdoor arenas and parking lots peppered with bunting and tarpaulin tents.

Wherever there’s a demand for fresh, locally sourced produce, there’s likely a farmers’ market catering to that demand. 

Many farmers’ markets in the UK today still require stall owners to bring produce fresh from the field and to be based within a certain radius of the market itself. Most of the farms and producers that bring stock to market will be based in the region, with many harvesting from land just down the road. 

It’s this local flavour and focus on regionally sourced food that keeps many people coming back to their local farmers’ market week after week, helping to put money back into the community without larger brands or chain-stores pocketing the profits.